There’s hope to help veterans and future generations all by hearing their stories.
MIDWEST CITY, Okla. (KFOR) - There’s hope to help veterans and future generations all by hearing their stories.
The American Red Cross, Sen. James Lankford`s office and the National Society of Colonial Dames of America came together at Cornerstone Church in Midwest for the Veteran’s History Project interview event.
"You have a story to tell. You have something to share with your kids, your grandkids that is valuable," Air Force veteran of over two decades James Richard McQuillar said.
That’s a message to veterans from a veteran himself.
"I encourage any vet out there that has a story to tell, find a venue like this to tell your story,” McQuillar said.
McQuillar works at Tinker Air Force these days. Although he’s retired, he still serves his fellow veterans as part of the Library of Congress’s Veterans History Project.
“It's something that you owe yourself,” he said. "You owe your future generations."
The goal of the project is to interview and hear the unedited stories from veterans about what they saw, did and felt in the service. Then, they want to preserve them in the Library of Congress forever and make them more accessible.
"It gives a perspective of history to people that want to repeat it or educate other people about it,” said Marilyn Case with the National Society of Colonial Dames of America.
"It's wonderful just being able to share it,” ret. Air Force veteran Stephen Davis said.
Davis sat down in one of the rooms Thursday and shared his stories.
"It really did bring back a lot of positive memories,” Davis said.
McQuillar said the veterans came come in, sit down, have a chat and share absolutely anything.
"The better stories are coming from veterans who tell me, surely I have nothing to talk about,” McQuillar said.
McQuillar and his wife, who is also a veteran, even plan to interview one another.
"That's going to be some stories that we don't even know about each other that's going to come out of that,” he said.
He and others hope those interviews can be an avenue to learning for future generations and healing for those he served alongside.
"Their stories got to be told,” he said.
To learn more, visit loc.gov.
